BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 21, 2023
There is nothing pretty about what’s going on with some fruit trees in Maine right now. Pears are cracking and drying out to the point that they are looking more like an alligator than a tasty fruit. The cracking skin is a symptom of russeting, a condition common to pears and apples. Fruit experts say it’s perfectly natural and is the latest growers’ headache that can be traced directly to the frost that hit the state in May.